MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Southwest Tennessee Community College was honored Wednesday by the state of Tennessee for its support of students' civic duties.
SWTCC won the two-year community college category in the 2023 Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition for getting students registered to vote in November 2022 during National Voter Registration month.
School officials said the credit goes to the Student Government Association. Student leaders held a campus-wide voter registration drive to encourage classmates to register to vote.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett met with the SWTCC President Tracy Hall and students to present the award Wednesday.
“When you don't go and vote, what you do is you turn in the keys of power to others. So, you've got to make your voice heard, and these students took the first step in it,” said Hargett.
“If students who are busy and distracted with so many things can lead this effort, then there's no excuse for anyone else to not go out and vote,” said Hall.
Winning schools were selected based on the number of new students registered and their social media presence, with student enrollment and creativity in promoting the competition taken into consideration as well.